The idea

Player similarity as a recruitment starting point.

Recruitment often starts with a simple thought: we need someone who can perform a role like this player. The player might be too expensive, unavailable, too old for the squad plan, or simply used as a reference for a style of play.

The concept

The profile is the target. A player name often describes a collection of footballing attributes, not just the individual player. A sporting director, scout, or recruitment analyst usually has a specific profile in mind: sometimes a player the club has recently sold, sometimes a player they wish they could sign, and sometimes a role in the squad that needs to be replaced.

  • We need a midfielder like Vitinha.
  • We need someone who can replace Bruno Fernandes.
  • We need a younger version of Besara.
  • We need a striker with qualities similar to Botheim.
  • We need someone who can do what Pirlo used to do.
  • We need another player like Zidane.

The challenge is that there may be hundreds of players around the world capable of performing a similar role. Finding them demands scouting time, league knowledge, and resources. The similarity engine turns that problem into a data question: which players perform in statistically similar ways?

The purpose is not to decide transfers automatically. It is to make the first stage of recruitment wider, faster, and more evidence-based.

How the player profile is built

Each player is described through event data: passes, carries, shots, defensive actions, duels, and other moments that happen during matches. These actions are grouped into broader performance areas such as passing, progression, creativity, defending, and finishing.

The result is a profile of how the player behaves on the pitch. Players can then be compared against each other by looking at the shape of those profiles rather than by reputation alone.

How it is set up visually

The comparison page is built around a clear top-to-bottom workflow. First, the user selects the season, position group, source player, and any market value filters. This defines the recruitment question.

Below that, the selected source player is shown next to the recommended similar player. Their role scores are visualized with radar charts, making it easy to see where the profiles overlap and where they differ.

The shortlist then appears as a ranked table. This keeps the visual hierarchy simple: choose a reference player, inspect the closest match, then review the wider list of alternatives.

What the page should help answer

The page is meant to answer one practical recruitment question: if this is the player profile we like, who else should we look at?